MAM
Abbys 2022: Five more industry doyens join the jury chair
Mumbai: The Abbys award governing council has assembled a power packed jury chair, rounding it out with five more industry veterans. They include Carlton D’Silva, Paresh Chaudhry, Praveen Someshwar, Rajat Ojha and Rekha Nigam, who have joined the jury chair this year.
House of Awe and Musemakers Marketing Services co-founder Carlton D’Silva
After a long stint at Hungama, Carlton now oversees the development of Film Marketing in House of Awe and Brand Marketing in Musemakers. Awards won include Cannes Lions, The Abbys, Kyoorius, Olive Crown Awards, New York Ad Festival.
Value 360 group executive director Paresh Chaudhry
Paresh heads Value 360, India’s fastest growing and the most awarded PR agency. He was formerly group president and chief brand custodian at RIL. Paresh has judged at the Cannes Lions and Abbys, ET Brand Equity and Sabre Asia. Paresh is the founder president of the Indian Forum of Corporate Communicators (IFCC)
HT Media Group MD & CEO Praveen Someshwar
Someshwar is busy transforming HT into a new-age media group, with digital initiatives and innovation being the driving forces. Under his leadership, HT Media Group is well on course to become a digital first organisation, creating multiple agile business units focusing on new niche domains. Praveen was earlier with Pepsico heading their North and South East Asia businesses.
Gamitronics CEO Rajat Ojha
A passionate techie, Ojha has worked at Hungama and currently heads Gamitronics. Awards won include Indie Innovation Award, Casual Connect, Hamburg, Game of the year for Kung Fu Dhamaka Google Maiden Canvas Showcase SFVR Game of The Year.
Sutradhar Media & Communications director Rekha Nigam
Rekha has headed language dept in several agencies. She won the Ad Club Campaign of the year for Salaam Bombay and New York Ad festival gold for Ruf n Tuf jeans. She was programming head of Sony Entertainment Television, screenplay and dialogue writer for major Hindi films like “Parineeta” and “Laaga Chunari Mein Daag.”
Earlier, the award governing council announced the inclusion of MullenLowe Lintas group chief creative officer and chairman Amer Jaleel, Elephant Design co-founder and director Ashwini Deshpande, Havas chairman and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar, BC Web Wise founder and MD Chaaya Bharadwaj, DDB Mudra Group chief creative officer Rahul Mathew, and Leo Burnett CEO and chief creative officer for South Asia Rajdeepak Das on the Abbys 2022 jury panel. The panel this year also boasts of three international jury chairs namely, Menno Kluin, Aricio Fortes, and Myra Nussbaum, from the global advertising industry, who will be judging the Abbys 2022.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
